Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Amazing Story of 'O Holy Night'


The Amazing Story of 'O Holy Night'
By Ace Collins

Declared 'unfit for church services' in France and later embraced by U.S. abolitionists, the song continues to inspire.


The strange and fascinating story of "O Holy Night" began in France, yet eventually made its way around the world. This seemingly simple song, inspired by a request from a clergyman, would not only become one of the most beloved anthems of all time, it would mark a technological revolution that would forever change the way people were introduced to music.

In 1847, Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was the commissionaire of wines in a small French town. Known more for his poetry than his church attendance, it probably shocked Placide when his parish priest asked the commissionaire to pen a poem for Christmas mass. Nevertheless, the poet was honored to share his talents with the church.

In a dusty coach traveling down a bumpy road to France's capital city, Placide Cappeau considered the priest's request. Using the gospel of Luke as his guide, Cappeau imagined witnessing the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. Thoughts of being present on the blessed night inspired him. By the time he arrived in Paris, "Cantique de Noel" had been completed.

Moved by his own work, Cappeau decided that his "Cantique de Noel" was not just a poem, but a song in need of a master musician's hand. Not musically inclined himself, the poet turned to one of his friends, Adolphe Charles Adams, for help.

The son of a well-known classical musician, Adolphe had studied in the Paris conservatoire. His talent and fame brought requests to write works for orchestras and ballets all over the world. Yet the lyrics that his friend Cappeau gave him must have challenged the composer in a fashion unlike anything he received from London, Berlin, or St. Petersburg.

As a man of Jewish ancestry, for Adolphe the words of "Cantique de Noel" represented a day he didn't celebrate and a man he did not view as the son of God. Nevertheless, Adams quickly went to work, attempting to marry an original score to Cappeau's beautiful words. Adams' finished work pleased both poet and priest. The song was performed just three weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve
Initially, "Cantique de Noel" was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and the song quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau walked away from the church and became a part of the socialist movement, and church leaders discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the song--which had quickly grown to be one of the most beloved Christmas songs in France--was suddenly and uniformly denounced by the church. The heads of the French Catholic church of the time deemed "Cantique de Noel" as unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and "total absence of the spirit of religion." Yet even as the church tried to bury the Christmas song, the French people continued to sing it, and a decade later a reclusive American writer brought it to a whole new audience halfway around the world.

Not only did this American writer--John Sullivan Dwight--feel that this wonderful Christmas song needed to be introduced to America, he saw something else in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An ardent abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease." The text supported Dwight's own view of slavery in the South. Published in his magazine, Dwight's English translation of "O Holy Night" quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.

Back in France, even though the song had been banned from the church for almost two decades, many commoners still sang "Cantique de Noel" at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man. Boldly standing with no weapon in his hand or at his side, he lifted his eyes to the heavens and sang, "Minuit, Chretiens, c'est l'heure solennelle ou L'Homme Dieu descendit jusqu'a nous," the beginning of "Cantique de Noel."

After completing all three verses, a German infantryman climbed out his hiding place and answered with, "Vom Himmel noch, da komm' ich her. Ich bring' euch gute neue Mar, Der guten Mar bring' ich so viel, Davon ich sing'n und sagen will," the beginning of Martin Luther's robust "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come."

The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing "Cantique de Noel" in holiday services.

Adams had been dead for many years and Cappeau and Dwight were old men when on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden--a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison--did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man's voice was broadcast over the airwaves: "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed," he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.

Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers sat slack-jawed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading from the gospel of Luke. To the few who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle--hearing a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Some might have believed they were hearing the voice of an angel.
Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn't have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played "O Holy Night," the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves. When the carol ended, so did the broadcast--but not before music had found a new medium that would take it around the world.

Since that first rendition at a small Christmas mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the entertainment industry's most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work--requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior--has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created.

Reprinted from "Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas" for educational purposes only, from Zondervan.

O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!


Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!

Mary Post Warren
Copyright 2011, all rights reserved.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Mary's Musing's Update


I know I haven't posted in a long time - I seem to have lost my desire to research for the time being.  I'm involved in a few other things at the moment...one being my Pampered Chef business and trying to grow it, I also read a lot (54 books so far this year, + the Bible all the way through), and am a little involved in politics (supporting my candidates).  We've had a lot of family issues the last year one being the passing away of my hub's sister, Janet...after being diagnosis-ed with stomach cancer in February and being given 2 months to live, she passed away on September 22.  We were blessed to be able to travel from Phoenix to Long Beach for every month or two to visit her. We were actually in Long Beach the week she passed away (to visit her), her caregiver told us she was waiting to 'go home' (die) until she saw her brother one more time...she died the day after we got there.

My niece in MN had a stroke 10 days ago, after lots of prayers - she's in rehab now and expected to go home this Saturday.  This did not take any time from us, just mention it so you all can keep her in your prayers as she recovers.  She has 2 small children, a very supportive husband, and my sister (her mother) was able to go back to help her during the recovery period.  She won't be able to go back to work for a couple of months, at least.  Lots of rehab work to do, which I won't go into here.

Our highlight of the year is our youngest son is being ordained as a Baptist Preacher in a couple of weeks - we will go there for the service....

We look forward to Thanksgiving with all our biological children....I've been in the holiday type of mood and am ready for the season to come on full force.

I'm on google+ as Mary Warren and on Facebook as Mary Post Warren, if you would like to hook up with me there....

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved


Thursday, October 20, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday - The House with Nobody in It

picture taken by hubs cousin, Carl
The House with Nobody in It
(1913 Joyce Kilmer)

Whenever I walk to Suffern along the Erie track
I go by a poor old farmhouse with its shingles broken and black.
I suppose I've passed it a hundred times, but I always stop for a minute
And look at the house, the tragic house, the house with nobody in it.

I never have seen a haunted house, but I hear there are such things;
That they hold the talk of spirits, their mirth and sorrowings.
I know this house isn't haunted, and I wish it were, I do;
For it wouldn't be so lonely if it had a ghost or two.

This house on the road to Suffern needs a dozen panes of glass,
And somebody ought to weed the walk and take a scythe to the grass.
It needs new paint and shingles, and the vines should be trimmed and tied;
But what it needs the most of all is some people living inside.

If I had a lot of money and all my debts were paid
I'd put a gang of men to work with brush and saw and spade.
I'd buy that place and fix it up the way it used to be
And I'd find some people who wanted a home and give it to them free.

Now, a new house standing empty, with staring window and door,
Looks idle, perhaps, and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
But there's nothing mournful about it; it cannot be sad and lone
For the lack of something within it that it has never known.

But a house that has done what a house should do,
a house that has sheltered life,
That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife,
A house that has echoed a baby's laugh and held up his stumbling feet,
Is the saddest sight, when it's left alone, that ever your eyes could meet.

So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track
I never go by the empty house without stopping and looking back,
Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
For I can't help thinking the poor old house is a house with a broken heart.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Friday, August 26, 2011

Follow Friday - An Update

I haven't been around too much this summer - I hope that changes as we slide into Fall.  It's just been too hot to think in Phoenix (hasn't HAS gotten as high as 119 this summer), much less put out a blog and do research.  I've been doing a lot of reading - I've read over 40 books since the first of the year, and although I've slacked off a little bit on my daily Bible reading I'm back to it too.  I'm up to Galatians in the New Testament and am hoping to finish before the end of the year (finish the Bible that is, not finish Galatians).   I've also started my own business selling Pampered Chef.  At this time I'm looking into working the Arts and Craft shows that are coming up soon, as well as one on one with people who want to purchase.

One of the other things I've been reading is some of your blogs.  And since this is Follow Friday I thought I would let you know some of whom I'm following these days:

F   Family Story Keeping

R   Reflection's from the Fence

I     MIssIssIppI MemorIes

D    Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories

A    Angler's Rest 

Y    Little BYtes of Life

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday - Coulter Sisters Company

I recently found this picture of my dad's mother, Bess Coulter Post.  I have many pictures of her and don't remember ever having seen this one before.  It was in a stack of items 'to be dealt with' that had to do with my Coulter and Post family.  It's a professionally taken photo but I'm pretty sure it's a copy and not the original.  If you look on towards the bottom, third, right hand side of the photo you can see where something had been printed and is now cut off (maybe the photographers name or the photo studio?).  On the back is written

Bess Coulter
Rich Western Co
Coulter Sisters Co

(note: yes, the 2nd line is crossed off). Also on one side (on back but at top of photograph) is written Aunt Bess.  At the bottom is a label which says:

Bess Coulter-Post
Daughter of William D & Lucy Hays-Coulter

The top back "Aunt Bess" (written in red) tells me that someone had this besides my parents (who gave me all the other pictures I have).  Several years ago I met some cousins who were the children of  Bess' sister Harriet Coulter.  I must have received this picture from them....but how it got lost for all these years is beyond me.  It's now scanned and on a flash drive with other pictures of Bess, and the original (to me) will go with all other pictures of Bess (to be handed down to my niece upon my death).

Mary Post Warren
 copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Our Family Angel


Last month on Lucille's 106th birthday I went for a visit at the cemetery, which happens to be just a few miles from us here in Phoenix. (The above picture was taken last summer on the anniversary of her death).  She was my dad's sister, although she died before he was born.  Among my unidentified pictures I have this one to the right.  This picture was with others from my dad's side of the family that were left to me. One of these little girls may or may not be Lucille.  If one is her I don't know who the other one is.  I have no other pictures of  Lucille but I do have her death certificate.  Can anyone out there in genealogy land help identify the time period of this picture? 

Dad did not know a whole lot about his family.  His father left his mother when she became pregnant with him.  He had one (known) living brother at that time who was about 4-5 years older than him.  He was told there was a child who died before he was born (Lucille, although he thought it was the brother, known as O.J.).  He was also told there were several children who died at or shortly after birth.  I have no confirmation on this.  I do have a picture of dad (Hays Coulter Post) with his brother O.J. Post (assumed to be Orvey Jermain Post) and their grandmother Elizabeth Clayton Post.  Dad's parent's names were Bess Coulter Post and Orvey Jermain(e) Post.

Know anything about anyone mentioned in this post? Please contact me using the e-mail address to the right under my picture.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, July 14, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History - Sewing

This is not a regular 52 Weeks of  Personal Genealogy and History - it's one I made up on my own....just to be different!  

My mom made 99% of of the clothes we wore as children.  The only thing she did not make was the uniforms we had to wear to school.  When I was in High School Home Economics was a required class.  I had no real desire to learn to cook and sew but it had to be done.  I remember one of the projects we had to do during our sewing lessons - that was to make a dress.  Mom and I went out shopping for the required items and I picked out what I thought was a lovely pattern and some material.  It was a shirt waist dress and blue/white seersucker material.  When I took it to class the teacher took one look at the material and laughed....she told me it looked like pajama or nightgown material.  I wasn't very happy about it and it kind of turned me off towards wearing that dress and doing any more sewing than I had to.

After marriage I again picked up sewing, I did enjoy it....I made clothes for the kids, dance costumes for my daughter and many in her class, Halloween costumes, etc. One particular dress I made for my daughter (wish I had a picture) was a Holly Hobby long dress with an old fashion bonnet to go with it.  When the kids got to be teens I more or less gave up sewing as I was a such a perfectionist and it made me nervous if there were issues with the sewing and the kids at the same time.  I spent way too much time being upset with the kids and I felt it just wasn't worth it. 

I did keep my sewing machine though - purchased about 1979-1980 it's not at all like the machines of today that do everything.  Last summer, I decided I was going to dig out the machine and start sewing during my 'spare time'...the first thing I did was go to the fabric store (fabric stores of yesterday are not like 'fabric stores' of today - yesterdays fabric stores were just that - fabric and patterns and sewing supplies.  Today's 'fabric stores' are craft stores and the fabric and patterns are hidden way in the back left hand (or right hand) corner of the store).  Hours of pouring over books I finally found a pattern that was suitable for me, easy to make (for a starter).....but boy was I surprised at the prices on patterns!  Some ranging $20+.....I use to pay a $1.00 maybe, and could pick them up at yard sales for 25cents!  It was real sticker shock to see today's prices.  After much search I found one that was less than $5 and that also fit my parameters. NOTE: I've discovered that patterns are available to look at (and order) online at the pattern makers website....this is what I will do in the future.

Now get this, I bought the material/pattern, thread, zipper, and new sewing scissors last summer. GUESS WHAT - after much looking I found some material that was MADE IN THE USA!  Last weekend I FINALLY got the machine up!  It took me until today to lay my pattern on the material and get it cut out.  I wonder how long I'll procrastinate until I thread up the machine?

I'm hoping once I really get going on this that it will be something that I put to use and get moving on. 

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Saturday, July 9, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History - Summer

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

1940ish George Tullis, Margaret Troyer, Hays Post
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer
Just fill your basket full of sandwiches and weenies
Then lock the house up, now you're set
And on the beach you'll see the girls in their bikinis
As cute as ever but they never get 'em wet
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
Dust off the sun and moon and sing a song of cheer
Don't hafta tell a girl and fella about a drive-in
Or some romantic moon it seems
Right from the moment that those lovers start arrivin'
You'll see more kissin' in the cars than on the screen
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summe
Those days of soda and pretzels and beer
Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer
You'll wish that summer could always be here
You'll wish that summer could always be here
You'll wish that summer could always be here

Written by: Charles Tobias; 
Music by: Hans Carste; 
Sang by: Nat King Cole
#6 1963
Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, July 7, 2011

The Haboob - The Storm of July 5, 2011

AzFamily.com

What's an Haboob?  Randy Cerveny, a geophysical sciences professor at Arizona State University, explains it in this  video from Arizona State University.
 
This video is very interesting, and only takes a few minutes of your time, it's worth your time to watch it.  Before the other night I had never heard the term 'haboob'....now that's all anyone talks about.  
 
It was amazing that the temps here in Phoenix were about 100+/- a degree or two....when this storm blew through.  As we walked outside we could feel the temperatures actually dropping.  When it was over it was about 80F.  According to the news the dust cloud was 1-2 miles long and 60-100 feet high....that's a pretty big cloud!!!  The storm lasted a couple of hours (including the rain after the initial cloud) ...Sky Harbor airport was closed down. The storm started to the south of us, although I do not know exactly where.  It came through Tucson (120 south of Phoenix).
 
I would have loved to have stood out front during the storm....but hubs (and I) both knew that would not be good for us.  We could feel the dust in the air and the next day I had a migraine that I'm sure was brought on by the 2-3 minutes we did stand outside.  
 
 
Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Bess Coulter Post



 This picture of my paternal grandmother was probably taken in the 1920s.  My grandfather was affiliated with the circus and although they were divorced in 1913-1914 they continued theirs was an off/on relationship for many years after.

The diamond ring on her left had is a one and a half carat stone and was in it's original setting.  I had it 'broken down' and reset, the setting was used for an amethyst stone which I gave my daughter on her  birthday one year.  The stone was reset into another setting and sits in a safe deposit box. 

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Monday, July 4, 2011

Independence Day


Check out these five handsome guys...all from the same family, all serving at the same time (U.S. Army) in service to our country.  What a giving family.  The picture was taken at the wedding of one of their siblings.  One is a good friend of ours.  I believe there is one more boy in the  family who is not old enough to be in the service.


Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring document.  Here in exalted and unforgettable phrases Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people.  The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers.  What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in 'self-evident truths' and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country. You are invited to read a transcription of the complete text of the Declaration.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Bahama Winds


Bahama Winds
 Just a lovely picture to share with you, taken by Cousin Carl, makes me want to get out there after the long hot days we've been having here in Arizona (110-115F).

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Saturday, June 25, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History - Songs

Our challenge for this week:  Songs - What was the #1 song during the week of your birth? Enter your birth date at This Day in Music (http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/birthdayno1) and find out. I'm too old to make this list - it only goes back to 1945.  So I choose another suggestion from the website and decided on the date we were married.

April 25, 1964 - "Can't Buy Me Love" by the Beatles was at the top of the charts both in the U.S and in Australia.  Our favorite song at that time was another popular song of the time (we must have heard it a dozen times as we drove from California to Las Vegas to get married) "Going to the Chapel" - by The Dixie-Cups.

Can't Buy Me Love lyricsSongwriters: McCartney, Paul; Lennon, John;
Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love

I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend
If it makes you feel all right
I'll get you anything my friend
If it makes you feel all right
'Cause I don't care too much for money
For money can't buy me love

I'll give you all I've got to give
If you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give
But what I've got I'll give to you
I don't care too much for money
For money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love
Everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love
No no no, no

Say you don't need no diamond rings
And I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of things
That money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love
Everybody tells me so
Can't buy me love
No no no, no

Say you don't need no diamond rings
And I'll be satisfied
Tell me that you want the kind of things
That money just can't buy
I don't care too much for money
Money can't buy me love

Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love, oh

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Friday, June 24, 2011

Family Recipe Friday - Mom's Home Cookin'


Recipe from the collection of Margaret Troyer Post

Mom's Home Cookin'
Carl Stanislaus

O, it sets my heart-a-clickin'
Like the tickin' of a clock
when the first frost is on the pumpkin
and the fodder's in the shock

James Whitcomb Riley

Nothin' sets my mouth-a-waterin',
like the smell of mom's home-cookin'
and nothing satisfies my hunger
like a piece of her punk'in pie!

You're not goin' to find much better
than her fresh bread from the oven,
and if there's one thing close to heaven,
it's her stuffin' made from scratch.

When it comes time for dinner,
with all the kinfolks roun' the table,
we ask God for all His blessin',
and thank Mom for all her grace.

Oh, the years come and go,
relatives are born, and passing,
but when the frost is on the pumpkin,
we'll head home for Mom's home cookin'.

(Poem written by hubs'
cousin, used with permission)
Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Frustration with Blogger Issues

Is anyone else getting frustrated with the blogger format?  I've had nothing but trouble with it for several months and am giving some serious thought to moving to another format.  I hate doing this because last time I had to make a major change I lost half my followers (probably people who didn't keep up with me anyway).

Anyway first I lost all my pictures in my blog...this was going back a year and a half...I have them uploaded in Picasa (which is suppose to be blogger compatible) and the pictures were all still in Picasa but it took me several weeks to re-upload them to each individual post.  Now, and for the last several weeks, I cannot post comments using my google account.  I keep typing into blogger my google account id and password but it keeps flipping back to the log-in screen - funny it works with e-mail ok. I can post comments if I use my name and url but that gets to be a pain in the tush.

I'm also trying to connect Amazon Associates to my blog and have been unable to do it.  This one may be my problem but maybe not....who knows.

All this has gone on since the blogger outage a couple months ago - I'm so FRUSTRATED...thus I've not been blogging or replying to others posts as much as I would like. 

Has anyone else encountered these problems?  What blogging format do you suggest?

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summer vs. Spring

The first full day of Summer, I love it! Being California born and raised and having lived there (for 50 years), and raising our family there, I had really come to appreciate the summers....easy days, kids were home from school, a lot of running them around to dance lessons, soccer practice, baseball games, trips to the beach, camping...days long gone, but still with me in my heart. California had almost perfect weather - if you'd leave out the earthquakes and the high prices I'd say it's one of the most perfect places to live.

After retirement we moved to Arizona, in the early '90s where youngest son was in college, then we moved again in the late '90s for a stint in Las Vegas, and now we're back in Arizona. Life is good - we are fairly close to 2 of the kids, and within driving distance of son #1.  Our 'adopted' son lives in Wisconsin and thus we seldom see him but do keep in touch.

Summer in Arizona brings beautiful sunsets, awesome desert landscape, and wild and crazy heat and rain.  The heat can be brutal and mix that with the monsoons you've got a double whammy.  It was 109 today, tomorrow is 113.....fortunately the 'dew point' is down at only 21% (it needs to be at 55% to bring on the monsoons), so it's a dry heat for the time being. 

Spring brings flowers, home grown vegetables, and 80 degree weather.  Summer brings HOT (over 100+), dead plants, and lots of time on my hands. 

Summer is GREAT but I think I like Spring best in these autumn days of my life.


Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, June 16, 2011


Margaret Troyer Post
June 16, 1909 - September 17, 1987


HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Wordless Wedneday


Geese On The Green

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, June 12, 2011

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History - Clothes

Our challenge for this week:  Clothes - What types of clothes did you wear as a child? What was “in fashion” and did your style compare?

I went to private schools...so there were no if, ands, or buts about what we wore...it was all picked out for us.  Everyone wore the same thing, bought from the same place.  Boys wore dark blue corduroy pants with a white shirt and leather-type shoes, girls wore the same uniform that all the other girls wore - sometimes it differed year by year.  I can remember wearing all matching uniforms with saddle shoes, and then there's this picture of me in a jumper style uniform.  I use to hate all being clones - but I bet it made it a lot easier on the moms not to have their kids arguing with them every morning about what to wear and not wear.

In high school we wore dark skirts and white blouses....stitch down pleated, pleated, fuller skirts but not straight....and lace up shoes but NO patent leather shoes...anyone want to guess why? (don't any family give it away).  My mom made my skirts and blouses.

When we went to church on Sunday we dressed up.  A covering on our head was required by our church so hats were everywhere...I remember wearing gloves too.  Don't remember what we wore to play in....probably something easy like pedal pushers and a blouse.  I don't remember ever wearing jeans...maybe we did though, but they'd have been hard for mom to make so I doubt it.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Friday, June 10, 2011

Family Recipe Friday: Margaret's Barbeque Sauce


My mother's recipe for barbeque sauce
with some ideas of what to do with the sauce. 
Mom was a great cook.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Treasure Thursday Twins

1935 Hubs and his sister
Aren't they beautiful!


Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Monday, June 6, 2011

This is the Face of Genealogy

This is the real face of Genealogy - a family (as yet unidentified), probably from the 1800's, probably an uncle, aunt, brother, sister, of someone I've written about on this blog, probably a member of the Schrock or Troyer family from Indiana and Pennsylvania.  This is what genealogy is all about - tracking down our ancestors....or someone else's...people who really lived in another time, in another place.

Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy and History

52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin is a series of weekly blogging prompts (one for each week of 2011) that invite genealogists and others to record memories and insights about their own lives for future descendants. You do not have to be a blogger to participate. If you do not have a genealogy blog, write down your memories on your computer, or simply record them on paper and keep them with your files.


Week 23: Books - What was your favorite book, or who was your favorite author from your childhood? What do you like to read now? Books or other formats?

I LOVE reading...anything and everything....well almost, I'm not a lover of the tabloids and trashy stuff but if you put anything else into my hands and it's readable I'll read it.

When I was young I loved to read the Bobbsey Twins, the Hardy Boys, the Nancy Drew Mystery series. As children a weekly trip to the library was very common.  As I got older the books changed and I've read many from Jane Austen, The Bronte Sitsters, and Mark Twain to Danielle Steele and Mary Higgins Clark and a lot in between.  I'm also currently enjoying reading many of the Amish books that are available....giving me some insight into how my ancestors lived.  I'm trying to make my way through the older, classic books.  I've read many of them before but when it's been 50 years since I've read them it's nice to read them again.  

My children bought me a Kindle for Christmas last year and I have to say it's one of the greatest pieces of technology ever made!  I pack that puppy in my purse and have it for breaks at works, while standing in line in the bank, or just wait time in the car.  There are tons of free books on it as well as many you have to pay for.  I've read 25 books just since Christmas.  I love that they have kids books on the Kindle, what a great way to get children to read.
Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Super Sister Sunday: The Engel Sisters

Helen, Kathryn, Alice, and Myrtle Engel
Christian Engel and Edith Gibson Engel had 5 children. - 4 girls and 1 baby brother.  These 4 girls and the little brother Johnny, although born in Ness Kansas, grew up in the early part of the 20th century in Long Beach California....each went on to marry and have between 2 and 3 children. Johnny, the baby brother, maried but he and his Mary did not have any children.  He was the ultimate Uncle Johnny to all the nieces and nephews.  We honor this great family who stayed close until the end. I've always felt so proud to be a part of this extended family.  What a loving family they are. 
Mary Post Warren
copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Treasure Chest Thursday: Johnny and Mary Engel


1920ish Johnny Engel


1920ish Mary Engel
 Johnny was the only boy of the five children born to Christian and Edith (Burgess) Engel.  Mary, his wife, was born in 1913 and is 98 years old.  I do not have full information on them....as in birth dates, wedding date, Johnny's death date.  I do know they lived their married life in Long Beach CA.  Johnny was the brother of my mother-in-law, Myrtle Engel Warren.  The poem below fits the time-frame of the pictures posted.  it was written by my hub's cousin, whose mother was also Johnny and Myrtle's sister.

One of my fondest memories of Uncle Johnny was how he called me everyday towards the end of my pregnancies asking "are you still around?".....I laugh at that now but I probably didn't think so much of it when I was pregnant and just wanting to get it over.










Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Wordless Wednesday: Made in America

 

 Pick a design or come up with your own

Stuffing Machine - stuff your bear

Finish stuffing and sewing up back


6. Putting on eyes, ears, mouth
7. Cleaning Mr. Bear up


A sampling of the finished project

This is obviously the build your own bear/stuffed animal area.  There is also a store where you can buy your stuffed animals clothes for every day of the week.....all made in America.  Next week we'll take a tour of the factory where they make bears in large quanities for selling in stores, special promotions, etc.  Tours are held for large and small groups and are FREE.

Visit their website by clicking on this link:



Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved



Friday, May 27, 2011

Family Recipe Friday: Janet's Russian Fluff

In keeping with the current generation and those to follow I add a recipe of my niece's.  Easy and simple and waiting to be passed down to her descendants by her children!

Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved

Monday, May 23, 2011

Mary-Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow

When we lived in California many years ago, we had a mature orange tree that produced year round with no care.  We also planted a peach tree but only got one or two peaches off it after 3 years of babying it.  I did a lot of canning/freezing but the veggies and fruit were always given to us by others. We moved before the fourth year and don't know if the tree produced. I hope if it did that the buyers of our property enjoyed the fruits of our labor!

After 20+ years we decided to give gardening a try. Last year (2010) we planted zucchini in our back yard (the little yellow blossom you see peeking out from under the leaves on the right side is the start of a zucchini) but it never produced. We were disappointed but not defeated.  This year in April (2011) we got out our gardening materials and planted zucchini, yellow crock-neck squash, and another variation of zucchini.  We waited and we waited, then we watered and watered some more.  We gave them lots of  TLC but it took a long time (in our opinions) to get them moving.  Then last week we gave the plants a good talking to and said 'produce or else'!  We had tons of yellow flowers that looked very pretty but they were not producing what we wanted - food! 


A couple days after our talk with the squash we walked out to our yard and, voila, there it was! YEAH, our first zucchini!  It's grown a little since I took this picture but other zucchinis or squash have yet to pop out. We have hopes...we waited a long time for this one and we're excited about it.  Tenacity is the answer!  Hopefully we'll get a few more this summer.

We've recently planted spaghetti squash and our pumpkin seeds are ready to plant in July. And next year we're adding tomatoes to our list.

Mary Post Warren
© copyright 2011, all rights reserved